NYSDOT Moves High Speed Rail Program Forward

ALBANY, NY (05/19/2010)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Acting Commissioner Stanley Gee today announced that New York continues to aggressively move forward with its high speed passenger rail program.

"I have asked the Department's Director of Major Projects, Marie A. Corrado, Esq, to oversee New York's high speed rail program," said Acting Commissioner Gee. "The Office of Major Projects is charged with delivering the state's most complex and important transportation projects."

Organizationally, NYSDOT created teams to develop the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) high speed rail project applications. To assure timely and successful delivery of the seven projects that received $151 million in ARRA funding, Acting Commissioner Gee supplemented the original teams with key engineering and project management staff.

"Marie Corrado and the teams assembled to deliver the program share with me the commitment to making the expansion of high speed passenger rail service in New York State a reality," said Acting Commissioner Gee. "The benefits of high speed rail include job creation, opportunities for rail manufacturing and maintenance and service businesses, economic development, enhanced mobility, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability, are vitally important for our state."

Acting Commissioner Gee has been personally engaged in the ARRA rail projects from the application process to the most recent implementation discussions with US Transportation Secretary LaHood, the Federal Railroad Administration, CSX Transportation and AMTRAK.

"The same urgency and resources are being put toward delivering the rail projects as were invested in delivery of the more than $2 billion of transportation infrastructure funding we received through ARRA," added Gee. "I have confidence that, with the cooperation and support of the stakeholders involved, we will move this program forward."

On May 7th Acting Commissioner Gee, Corrado, and Timothy Gilchrist, Governor Paterson's Senior Advisor for Infrastructure and Transportation traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood, Deputy Secretary John Porcari, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, FRA Administrator Joe Szabo and Deputy Administrator Karen Rae, along with officials from CSX Transportation and AMTRAK as part of an effort to expand high speed passenger service west of Albany in New York State.

In April, NYSDOT Acting Transportation Commissioner Stanley Gee celebrated the $151 million in passenger rail grants awarded to New York with US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Amtrak President Joe Boardman at the Rochester train station where a portion of these funds will be used for station improvements. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, who leads New York's Upstate Caucus and was recognized by Secretary LaHood for her pivotal role in bringing these federal funds to New York State, hosted the press event. Also in April, Acting Commissioner Gee welcomed Congresswoman Corrine Brown Chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials as she kicked off her "Whistle Stop Tour" throughout the Northeast and the Midwest to raise awareness about High-Speed Rail. Chairwoman Brown circulated a letter from Members of Congress calling on the President to work with Congress to create a dedicated federal funding source for passenger rail.

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